The Benefits of Yoga for Children
LLA Therapy Occupational Therapist, Nicole Torres, MOT, OTR/L, discusses the benefits that yoga can have on children.
As a pediatric OT, Certified Yoga Teacher, and mom, I cannot say enough good things about yoga. I fell in love with yoga when I was pregnant with my son 7 years ago. It was my special time with him. No cell phones, no emails, no worrying about other people, just me and my baby to be, and the amazing yoga teacher who inspired me to delve deeper into yoga in the years that have since passed.
I completed my Yoga Teacher Training in 2013 and couldn’t help but apply it to my work as an OT.
The poses, the breathing, and the philosophy were so easy to incorporate into my treatment sessions. As I was searching for more “kid friendly” yoga materials, I found ChildLight Yoga. I took their Teacher Training as well as the Yoga 4 Classrooms training in early 2014 and started teaching kids yoga classes at a studio near my home.
The classes were filled with playfulness, creativity, friendship, down time, and lessons about living a healthy life and being a good person. I encourage you to look for classes in your community to get your child involved in the amazing activity that is YOGA. Below is a list of the benefits of yoga for children as well as some of my favorite, easy to use yoga tools.
Yoga can help improve a child’s:
– strength, joint stability, and flexibility
– concentration, focus, and attention
– balance, coordination, and body awareness
– imagination and creativity
– confidence, self-esteem, and body image
– positive attitude and outlook
– ability to handle difficult experiences (more patient, less reactive)
– respect for self, respect for others, respect for animals and the environment
– digestion
– immune function
– sleep patterns
Tools:
– Imaginations and Imaginations 2 – Books with relaxation stories for children
– Dance for the Sun – CD
– Musical Yoga Adventures – CD
– Yoga Pretzels – Activity card deck
– Yoga 4 Classrooms – Activity card deck
– Mandala coloring pages